Published: Saturday, July 5, 2014 at 07:15 PM.

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After opening its doors to five children on June 5, 1914, the Kennedy Home on Saturday celebrated 100 years of helping children.

The Kennedy Home, a part of the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, sits on 1,200 acres of land donated in 1912 by William Lafayette Kennedy and his wife, Emily Hardee Kennedy. Today, the Kennedy Home is one of 23 facilities across the state run by the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina that seek to help children overcome various struggles.

The celebration began at 10 a.m. when Kennedy Home alumni Jim Dyer and Doris Hartley-Powers, portraying William and Emily Kennedy, rode in a carriage from the campus’s main gate to Cedar Dell Hall in the middle of the campus.

Dyer, a resident from 1954 to 1962, said he had a great experience at the Kennedy Home.

“I spent most of my youth here,” he said. “I came here as a small child and left as a teenager. It equipped me for life.”

Dyer, a current member of the the Baptist Childre’s Homes board of trustees, said he was happy to come back to the place he grew up.

After opening its doors to five children on June 5, 1914, the Kennedy Home on Saturday celebrated 100 years of helping children.

The Kennedy Home, a part of the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, sits on 1,200 acres of land donated in 1912 by William Lafayette Kennedy and his wife, Emily Hardee Kennedy. Today, the Kennedy Home is one of 23 facilities across the state run by the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina that seek to help children overcome various struggles.

The celebration began at 10 a.m. when Kennedy Home alumni Jim Dyer and Doris Hartley-Powers, portraying William and Emily Kennedy, rode in a carriage from the campus’s main gate to Cedar Dell Hall in the middle of the campus.

Dyer, a resident from 1954 to 1962, said he had a great experience at the Kennedy Home.

“I spent most of my youth here,” he said. “I came here as a small child and left as a teenager. It equipped me for life.”

Dyer, a current member of the the Baptist Childre’s Homes board of trustees, said he was happy to come back to the place he grew up.

“It’s always a great experience to come to this campus,” he said.

Powers said she came to Kennedy Home in 1948 when she was 7 years old and left in 1959 when she was 18. She said it was one of the best things to ever happen to her and her three siblings.
“I hate to think of what would have happened to me and my siblings if we had not been here,” she said. “The options and influences I had growing up in poverty were not good. My father was an alcoholic and my mother only had a third-grade education.”

Powers said she took part in the 1989 celebration and was overjoyed to be back for the 100th.

“To be here today portraying Mrs. Kennedy and leading the tours of Cedar Dell Hall is an honor,” she said. “I hope she (Mrs. Kennedy) would be proud of me.”

The event featured music, wagon rides, games and tours of the old farm, along with free homemade ice cream and hot dogs.

Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina President and CEO Michael Blackwell said the idea for the celebration came two years ago.

“We really wanted to blow it out for the 100th anniversary,” he said. “It’s been an incredible team effort. Not just the people at Kennedy Home, but at least four of our other campuses have come down to help put this on. We want to honor the legacy of the gift of Captain and Mrs. Kennedy and the fact that we are still serving children in the area today.”

Blackwell, who has been president of Baptist Children’s Homes for 31 years, said he presided over the 75th anniversary in 1989 and was glad to be a part of another celebration.

“I said in 1989 that we were going to have a major celebration in 25 years at the 100th, not knowing I would still be president, so I felt like I’m still here and should live up to that,” he said.

Dickie Maynor, a resident from 1966 to 1974 and chairman of the alumni association, said he had a good experience at the home.

“I was raised by fine people,” he said. “I worked on the farm and was able to attend La Grange Elementary School, E.B. Frink Middle School and North Lenoir High School where I played basketball and football.”

The celebration concludes today with a worship service at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch in the Kennedy Home gym at noon and a time capsule ceremony at 1 p.m.

Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.